Saffron is a passion for María José San Román. Her Michelin starred restaurant in Alicante features top quality saffron in dozens of dishes. "It’s the only spice that you see, you smell, and you taste with such power," to quote from a New York Times article.

María José is one of the rising new chefs of Spanish cuisine, focused on local, traditional foods and serving her dishes in an honest modern style. Top quality saffron is one of her most important ingredients. In cooperation with the University of Castilla – La Mancha she has studied the fundamental properties of saffron and her mission is to reintroduce this ancient, precious spice into the world of modern cuisine.

Together with farmers in La Mancha she developed a line of premium saffron. Key to the presentation are the foil packets, sealed to protect them from air and light. Each one holds enough saffron for a typical paella or similar sized recipe. Her recommendation is that you grind the saffron into a powder in a mortar, releasing the bright color and intense floral flavor.

La Mancha is famous around the world as the source for the finest, most flavorful saffron. Crocus flowers are hand picked in the fall, and the golden/red pistils are plucked out one by one. The pistils are carefully toasted to dry them and bring out their full saffron flavor. Only the very best Spanish saffron is selected for the San Román line.

Customer Reviews

"The best saffron gets handy packaging that seals in flavor. These packs mean that we no longer have a large tin that is open to oxidation. Each packet does a paella for four adults."

James Ellsworth - Caldwell, TX

Richard Wesner - Virginia Beach, VA

"Wow, love this product. I used it for the first time today not knowing what to expect. Upon opening the packet, it was threads, not powder per se, so I was surprised. I tossed it into 3 cups of boiling water to cook 1 1/2 cups rice. In no time the rice was a deep yellow. I am Italian but my mom had a recipe called "Rice Cake", a savory rice cake, the recipe went with her...I have since recreated it. It is baked in a pan with eggs, milk, romano cheese, and lots of black pepper. She always colored it yellow with food coloring bc saffron was expensive. Mom is gone 39 yrs, so this recipe is a piece of my childhood memory. This saffron made mom's rice cake extra extra special too."

Joanne S. - Shirley, NY

Annette Toy - SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA

WAYNE CARSON - PORT ANGELES, WA

Lynn Read - Redondo Beach, CA

"Not quite the same as saffron threads, but so much easier to work with. Good product."